MVP Mendenhall plays coy about his future

Friday

When asked Friday what there's still left for him to accomplish in college football, Illinois junior running back Rashard Mendenhall couldn't come up with a list of reasons.

When asked Friday what there's still left for him to accomplish in college football, Illinois junior running back Rashard Mendenhall couldn't come up with a list of reasons.
"In my mind, there's not too much,'' he said. "I'm not big on accolades and awards.''
The chance to win the Heisman Trophy?
"Not really,'' he said. "That's not something I would come back for.''
During a barrage of questions about his future, the Big Ten Conference MVP provided only more reason to believe that he will jump to the NFL after the season. When No. 13 Illinois (9-3) meets No. 6 Southern Cal (10-2) in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day (3:30 p.m., ABC), Mendenhall is expected to wear an Illini uniform for the last time.
"To me, I think he's made up his mind,'' said Nolan Nawrocki, a former Illini letterman who is an NFL draft analyst for Pro Football Weekly. "I've had people tell me he's definitely coming out.''
That's the common theory, although Mendenhall doesn't want to talk about it. But his return would be a bigger upset than Illinois toppling USC. (The Illini are 14-point underdogs, the biggest point spread in bowl season.)
Even though his playing time was limited in his first two seasons, Mendenhall remained confident that when given a chance, he would become a star. The 5-foot-11, 224-pounder from Niles West set single-season school records with 1,526 rushing, 16 rushing touchdowns, seven 100-yard games and 18 touchdowns overall.
Behind Mendenhall, the Illini ranked fifth nationally by averaging 266.2 yards rushing per game and gave sophomore quarterback Juice Williams even more time to grow. After playing behind Pierre Thomas and E.B. Halsey during his first two seasons, Mendenhall became a star in one season.
"Sometimes I wanted it earlier than later,'' Mendenhall said. "I knew regardless of when that my time was going to come. I knew (Thomas and Halsey) were older guys and had been pretty good players. I knew regardless of what happened, I would get a chance.''
Preferring to remain in the shadows, even during bowl week preparations, Mendenhall understood that his decision is newsworthy. He doesn't flourish in front of the cameras in the interview room like he does on the football field.
"It's kind of like the recruiting process,'' he said. "Everyone wants to know what schools you like. I'm not big on the spotlight. I'm more traditionally in the shadows.''
That changed this year.
"We knew going into the year that it was Rashard's turn,'' said Illini offensive coordinator Mike Locksley. "For us to be the team we need to be, he was going to have to have his production meet his potential. He's always been a guy with potential. He matured into a guy who met potential by producing.''
There's no longer a concern over Mendenhall losing turnovers, and he showed his versatility as an effective pass receiver.
"There's always a concern when you have a guy that wasn't the guy,'' said Locksley. "There was a concern as a playcaller of protecting the football. We've done a much better job of not turning it over.
"His best traits are his tremendous feet and his vision. He has the ability to run through people, run by people and make people miss. He's as versatile a running back that I've ever worked with.''
For players thinking of making a jump to the NFL, a first-round slot is a no-brainer. If results from the NFL advisory panel show it might be a second-round slot, there's some hesitation, Nawrocki said. By the third or fourth round, it's more likely they will return to school.
"There's a range on him,'' Nawrocki said. "Some guys have him in the second or third rounds. Some guys have him in the first. He's big, looks the part. He's everything you want in a back between the tackles. He's able to pound it up in there. A fraction of the evaluators say he's not physical enough.''
An official 40-yard dash time is critical for Mendenhall's draft status, if he decided to jump. Mendenhall's mother, Sibyl, takes care of all communication with the NFL advisory committee.
Mendenhall has two semesters to complete his college degree. By all indications, he's ready for a move to the NFL.
John Supinie can be reached at Johnsupinie@aol.com. For more coverage, read Illini Talk blog at www.sj-r.com and www.pjstar.com.

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